|Publication number||US7600515 B2|
|Application number||US 11/237,128|
|Publication date||13 Oct 2009|
|Priority date||28 Sep 2005|
|Also published as||US8186350, US8997745, US20070083262, US20100037898, US20120199120, WO2007038563A1|
|Publication number||11237128, 237128, US 7600515 B2, US 7600515B2, US-B2-7600515, US7600515 B2, US7600515B2|
|Original Assignee||Nellcor Puritan Bennett Llc|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (7), Referenced by (18), Classifications (9), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present disclosure, according to one embodiment, relates to medical device tubes, e.g., tracheostomy tubes, used in medical applications, and more particularly, to improving the reliability of maintaining a secure attachment of an inner cannula to an outer cannula.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
A medical device tube may be comprised of an outer cannula (slender tube that may be inserted into a body cavity) attached to a head base connector. The head base connector and outer cannula are adapted for insertion of an inner cannula. One example of a medical device tube is a tracheostomy tube. The tracheostomy tube may be “L” shaped and the head base connector may be attached to a swivel neck plate/flange. The tracheostomy tube provides an artificial airway for access to the patient's airway for airway management. The tracheostomy tube may be introduced into a tracheotomy incision in the patient's neck that provides access to the trachea. The tracheostomy tube may be secured a swivel neck plate/flange that may be connected to a tracheostomy tube holder or neck strap, thus securing this artificial airway for spontaneous or mechanical ventilation of the patient.
The inner cannula may be inserted into the head base connector and outer cannula after the tracheostomy tube has been placed into the patient's trachea. This inner cannula typically includes a connector for quick removal of the inner cannula from the outer cannula, e.g., the inner cannula connector removably attaches to the head base connector, so that the inner cannula may be removed quickly if an obstruction, e.g., plug of mucus, sputum, etc., forms in the inner cannula. For example, a snap connector may be used for attaching the inner cannula to the outer cannula. A mechanical ventilator hose may be removably coupled to the inner cannula snap connector for assisting the patient in breathing. However, if the inner cannula is twisted during use, e.g., caused by movement of the ventilator hose connected thereto, the snap connector may disengage and allow the inner cannula to withdraw from the outer cannula.
In previous medical device tube designs, a snap connector, e.g., a polypropylene material snap connector, having integral snap ears was used for attaching the inner cannula to the outer cannula head flange, with only the integral snap ears supplying retention between the inner and outer cannula connectors. Improving the reliability of attachment and continued attachment retention of the inner cannula connector to the outer cannula connector may be desired. Also, an added benefit would be to do so without having to change existing designs for the inner cannula snap connector, e.g., continued use of existing inner cannulas snap ear designs, but may also be utilized in any other or new medical device tube design.
According to a specific example embodiment of the present disclosure, a tracheostomy tube combination radial snap and bayonet cannula connector, includes an outer cannula snap flange; at least one retention tab having a first notch therein, wherein the at least one retention tab may be substantially parallel to a radial axis of the outer cannula snap flange; and the first notch receives and holds snap ears of an inner cannula connector when the snap ears are rotated into the first notch of the retention tab.
According to another specific example embodiment of the present disclosure, a medical device tube includes an outer cannula; an outer cannula snap flange coupled to the outer cannula; at least two retention tabs attached to the outer cannula snap flange, each of the at least two retention tabs having a first notch therein, wherein the at least two retention tabs are substantially parallel to a radial axis of the outer cannula snap flange; an inner cannula; and an inner cannula connector having snap ears, wherein the inner cannula connector may be coupled to the inner cannula, and the inner cannula may be adapted for insertion into the outer cannula, whereby the inner and outer cannulas may be substantially coaxially aligned; wherein the first notches receive and hold the snap ears of the inner cannula connector when the snap ears are rotated into the first notches of the at least two retention tabs.
According to yet another specific example embodiment of the present disclosure, a tracheostomy air passage system includes a tracheostomy tube comprising, an outer cannula; an outer cannula snap flange coupled to the outer cannula; at least two retention tabs attached to the outer cannula snap flange, each of the at least two retention tabs having a first notch therein, wherein the at least two retention tabs may be substantially parallel to a radial axis of the outer cannula snap flange; an inner cannula; and an inner cannula connector having snap ears, wherein the inner cannula connector may be coupled to the inner cannula, and the inner cannula may be adapted for insertion into the outer cannula, wherein the first notches receive and hold the snap ears of the inner cannula connector when the snap ears are rotated into the first notches of the at least two retention tabs, whereby the inner and outer cannulas may be substantially coaxially aligned; a ventilator hose coupled to the inner cannula connector; and a ventilator coupled to the ventilator hose.
A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific example embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific example embodiments is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed herein, but on the contrary, this disclosure is to cover all modifications and equivalents as defined by the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, the details of specific example embodiments are schematically illustrated. Like elements in the drawings will be represented by like numbers, and similar elements will be represented by like numbers with a different lower case letter suffix.
Optionally, an inflation collar 112 may be proximate to the outer wall of the outer cannula 104, and an inflation lumen 120 may be within the wall of the outer cannula 104 or proximate thereto. An air valve port 122 may be used in combination with the inflation lumen 120 and the inflation collar 112 for, when inflated, creating an air and/or liquid sealing function between the inflation collar 112 and the trachea 116 air passage. The inflation collar 112 may also position the outer cannula 104 in the trachea 116. More than one lumen may be in the wall of the cannula 104 and the additional lumens therein may be used for various other purposes. The inflation collar 112 may be inflated with a fluid, e.g., air, nitrogen, saline, water, etc.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted, described, and are defined by reference to example embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US8127766 *||3 Nov 2008||6 Mar 2012||Ti-Li Chang||Tracheostomy tube with a swiveled connector|
|US8721612||16 Dec 2011||13 May 2014||Hospira, Inc.||System and method for intermixing the contents of two containers|
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|US8834444||3 Oct 2012||16 Sep 2014||Hospira, Inc.||System and method for mixing the contents of two containers|
|US8870095 *||29 May 2009||28 Oct 2014||Masco Corporation Of Indiana||Locking pressurized fluid connection|
|US8882739||3 Oct 2012||11 Nov 2014||Hospira, Inc.||System and method for mixing the contents of two containers|
|US8905030||31 Mar 2011||9 Dec 2014||Covidien Lp||Tracheal tube with connector insert|
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|US9079686||3 Oct 2012||14 Jul 2015||Hospira, Inc.||Port assembly for mixing the contents of two containers|
|US9114242||15 Aug 2011||25 Aug 2015||Icu Medical, Inc.||Medical connector|
|US9126028||17 Apr 2013||8 Sep 2015||Icu Medical, Inc.||Medical connector|
|US9126029||15 Jul 2013||8 Sep 2015||Icu Medical, Inc.||Medical connector|
|US9168366||11 Feb 2014||27 Oct 2015||Icu Medical, Inc.||Medical connector with closeable luer connector|
|US9198832||14 Mar 2013||1 Dec 2015||Hospira, Inc.||Medicament admixing system|
|US9205025||14 Mar 2013||8 Dec 2015||Hospira, Inc.||Medicament admixing system|
|US9205026||14 Mar 2013||8 Dec 2015||Hospira, Inc.||Medicament admixing system|
|US20100108076 *||3 Nov 2008||6 May 2010||Ti-Li Chang||Tracheostomy Tube with a Swiveled Connector|
|US20110089263 *||29 May 2009||21 Apr 2011||Hughett Michael S||Locking Pressurized Fluid Connectin|
|U.S. Classification||128/207.14, 128/207.15|
|Cooperative Classification||A61M16/0427, A61M16/0488, A61M16/0465, A61M16/08|
|European Classification||A61M16/04M, A61M16/04E|
|28 Sep 2005||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: NELLCOR PURITAN BENETT INCORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MATLOCK, GEORGE;REEL/FRAME:017038/0449
Effective date: 20050921
|24 Aug 2009||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: NELLCOR PURITAN BENNETT LLC, COLORADO
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:MATLOCK, GEORGE;REEL/FRAME:023139/0124
Effective date: 20050921
|5 Oct 2010||CC||Certificate of correction|
|26 Nov 2012||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: COVIDIEN LP, MASSACHUSETTS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:NELLCOR PURITAN BENNETT LLC;REEL/FRAME:029346/0062
Effective date: 20120929
|14 Mar 2013||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4